What Plays Out Beyond the Game

Just when the Red Sox outfielders thought it was safe to make plays near the infield, Adrian Beltre emerged from third to strike down another victim.

After being diagnosed with five fractured ribs, Jeremy Hermida was sent to the DL to give the much maligned Jacoby Ellsbury some company.

The club may be joking about Beltre’s cold proficiency with eliminating teammates, but the issue is getting pretty serious. Even with one of the best medical staffs around, the Sox doctors have been accused of botching Ellsbury’s recovery from his own Beltre encounter on April 11.

With Hermida’s rib injury, the Sox are sure to be extra careful. Though he may not have been giving opposing pitchers nightmares with his .217 average, Hermida was a valuable piece in the outfield. With him gone, Boston finds itself sending out such all-stars as Bill Hall and Josh Reddick.

As several Sox players have mentioned, the strangest part of these two injuries is how similar they were. It may just be a coincidence, but those type of collisions are pretty rare.

This leads a fan such as myself into the land of speculation. Does Beltre ignore outfielders who call him off? Does he not care about the threat of injury to himself or others? Is he a Terminator?

Regardless of the true reason, Beltre seems to be trying very hard to redeem his destructive ways. He is one of the most productive hitters in the lineup this season, batting well over .300 and already matching his 2009 homer total with eight.

The Sox can only hope that the oft-injured J.D. Drew does not come down with a big injury. As it is, Mike Cameron is playing though pain and the Sox bench is almost on empty. Luckily for Drew and Cameron, they shouldn’t be playing anywhere near left field this season.